What does this “fully integrated technical computing system” design approach mean for my day-to-day work?
First, the approach makes the system quicker to learn since knowing a few simple rules provides an understanding of how a large number of functions operate. Rather than learn the operation of each function individually, you have to learn only a few simple rules in order to predict many details of how other functions will operate. Second, outputs from calculations are structured correctly to be used immediately as input for other calculations even when the latter calculations are of a very different nature. Third, you can be confident that work you do today will continue to be compatible with future versions of Mathematica; careful design makes later design changes unnecessary even when features or underlying algorithms are improved. It takes time to appreciate the value of Mathematica’s meticulous design, but the more heavily you rely on your technical computing system, the more crucial good design becomes. Wolfram Research is unique in ascribing this level of importance to design. Q:
